MRSA News Today - high profile infection

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Helping you to Respond to Infections

 

 

MRSA Watch exists to help patients, medical staff and health industry professionals remain aware of the latest information about this high profile infection. Read on to discover the wide range of information we have available. Click here for more information on over 30 e mail newsletters that can keep you abreast of the issues that concern you.

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What is MRSA?There are 3 different types of Staphylococcus Aureus (SA) infection in the general population. Simple SA bacteria can be found on the bodies of up to 30% of the general population. It caused many problems before the use of antibiotics made wound recovery a safer process. Hospital acquirred SA is generally resistant to several antibiotics but especially Methicillin, hence the name MRSA. This is found in about 1% of the population.

Community Acquirred MRSA (CA MRSA) is often found in otherwise healthy people, is a different strain of MRSA, mainly causes skin infections and is treatable by more drugs at this time. CA MRSA seems to be more infectious - should it become resistant to more antibiotics it could pose a considerable public health risk. Many people carry or are 'colonised' by SA bacteria but only suffer when they have another illness or suffer a small wound that the bacteria can grow in and infect them.

How do people catch MRSA? There are several ways it is believed to spread.

 

Hand carriage - this is why hospital staff are encouraged to wash their hands after each patient.

Contaminated surfaces - this is why clean hospital wards are vital.

Via medical instruments - this is why many now have special coatings or have silver elements. This discourages lingering residies and/or kills external infection entering the wound

Via airborne particles - MRSA often resides in the nasal passages and can spread with colds and flu as a secondary infection that may be dormant for some while.

Shared items - Families or other close knit groups sharing a facility such as military personnel, a sports team or prison inmates may share hygiene items such as towels etc. This is another vector for the spread of the bacteria

Needles - Drug users sharing needles may be passing on MRSA alongside HIV or Hepatitis C. The same could be said of tattoo artists who do not have strict hygiene regimes.

Sexual Intimacy - the nose, groin and underarms are key colonisation areas for the bacteria. Sex workers and the habitually promiscous will be super spreaders in a society in much the same way as they are for AIDS.

How is it treated? There are 3 key treatment regimes that are commonly used.

 

For those who are colonised - a nasal treatment and a skin wash

For those who have a potential or active bloodstream infection - drugs such as Vancomycin, Linezolid or Daptomycin.

For those with infected wounds - special honey, silver bandages, garlic preparations and tea tree oil are all believed to be effective in killing MRSA in a wound.

How can it be preventedThe media often focus on clean hospitals and clean hands as a key to combating MRSA. Others believe that this will only cut cases by 30% and that a diverse strategy is vital and will include:

 

Clean Wards - especially surfaces and keyboards.

Staff Screening - are they super carriers?

Patient Screening - so that they can be de colonised and to avoid self infection.

Hospital Equipment - because it can take the infection deep into a wound.

Air Hygiene - to help prevent nasal colonisation

Hand Hygiene - to prevent transport from patient to patient

Antibiotic Restraint - because resistance grows from over prescription

The Food Chain - is resistance also provoked by over use in the animals that we eat?

Patient Isolation - this helps lesson the potential risk of airborne infection

Lifestyle Choices - needle injected drugs and multiple sexual partners help spread chronic illnesses that emerge slowly

What can I do

 

Stay informed - this site and several others can help you do this

Ask others via our MRSA Watch forum

Act locally by becoming involved in patient advocacy or patient/hospital forums

Seek justice - do you need to take legal action because of neligence or do we all need to speak up for communities who are being hit by CA MRSA but are underinsured and often powerless.